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First injection since surgery

In my effort to become the ideal patient I have practiced repeating, "Yes, Doctor,Your Majesty, Sir. And so in that spirit, I agreed to another epidural injection--caudal. I went Monday afternoon and had the usual extra pain, cramping, etc. The clinic was very nice, the doc was swell. I really thought I had found Valhalla. On the morning of day two (we have been slammed with snow the last week, day after day of snow. I'm afraid to get our bill from the snow plower. I went outside to shovel a little pathway to the front door and clean off my car. I walked to the side of the house where my ADD husband had left a bag of potting soil right in the middle of the walkway. There was a board on top of the bag of potting soil both of which were covered with snow and neither of which did I expect to find in the middle of the walkway. Well, I fell so hard--- splat--on the ground and immediately felt incredible pain in my back and my left leg. Now, the only time in my life I have ever claimed to be at pain level #10 (on a scale of 0 to 10) was when I woke up in the recovery room after my fusion surgery. Well, this was as close to a ten as one can get without being in the recovery room. I hurt so much. My back had been hurting the few days before and that is unusual because my pain was primarily in my legs. I've been a little worried that I've injured L4 which wasn't so hot to begin with. I just started bawling. (This isn't like me.) I called my husband and screamed at him for leaving that potting soil in the middle of the walkway (this is like me). I hurst so much. When I left the pain clinic I was told to call if I had any problems. I called and, unfortunately, I was still sobbing. I asked if I could take an extra Dilaudid or would Lyrica be a better choice. The nurse told me that she couldn't comment on the drugs because my pain doctor had not precribed them. I was at a 10 for 5 hours and, I must admit that I was scared that I had done something bad to my back. The only time I have ever gone to the emergency room was following a procedure, a radiofrequency ablation and I was met by a brand new doc who immediately pegged me as a drug seeker. Ergo, I was reluctant to go to the E.R. Plus, my husband was at work and I had had to help him get his car out of the driveway because of the ice and drifts. I called my primary who had promised to give me one months worth of pain meds so I could shop for a pain . doc and so I wouldn't have to go in and ask for drugs first thing. When I went to this pain clinic, the nurse said, "And your primary is going to continue to give you your pain meds." I didn't say anything. Anyway, I called my primary and talked to his nurse and said I needed more dilaudid, that Dr. J______ said he's give me a month's worth but he only gave me 2 weeks worth and I am scheduled to run out on Friday. The nurse treated me like a criminal (this was my perception while being at #10 pain level) She asked for my phone # in case he didn't want to give me the prescription. I hung up but called back and left a message that I wanted my primary to call me. He called back within an hour. I was still #10, still crying. I told hime what happened. He said its true, that the pain clinic could not advise me on my meds if I had gotten them elsewhere. I "educated" him briefly on what it is like to be a pain patient. I said that I didn't ask to be in pain. I would give anything not to be in pain, but the treatment for my problem is narcotics. How would it be if every time I called in for my blood pressure medication, I would be treated like a criminal. What if I were a diabetic and whenever I needed more insulin, the nurse would make some remark about "if he doesn't want to do it". Whoever recommended we need to make our situation known to the world is RIGHT. I've learned that is anything like that should happen again, I will call the clinic and tell them I am going to the ER and would they call and explain I'm their patient and I had a procedure and a fall and was in severe pain. Then, maybe I would be treated better at the ER plus now I have that big long scar on my back and i could have gotten an injection and the pain would have ended instantly instead of in 5 hours. Oh well. Its over now. I'm feeling good. Maybe my new doc is right and with this injection, I will feel good for Christmas. I surely am behind in my work. Susan.

Even though I did end up spending Christmas in bed alone, when my husband came home from the family gathering, we opened our presents in the bedroom watching Bad Santa. After the horrible pain of falling right after an injection subsided, I started to feel much better. In fact, I feel so much better that I have really cut back on my pain meds, I take Dilaudid which is short acting and usually it is the pain that reminds me to take a pill. Now, I'm not having pain so I'm not taking a pill and then I start feeling really nervous and hot and sweaty. I'm thrilled. I wonder how long this will last? It even took away the pain in my feet. Maybe I won't need a stimulator. Or, even if I do, I have a way of dealing with a pain flare while I'm waiting for the whole process to transpire. I didn't sleep at all last night due to the withdrawal. (I am taking some meds but I guess its just so much less). Also, I have a great lead for a DO neurosurgeon I'm seeing on the 22nd. I'm going to see this PM doc again on the 16th and I got a new MRI. So I'm all set. Got my ducks lined up and will be making some decisions about treatment. All good. Susan

AHHHHHHhhh what wonderfully good news. Glad the pain and nerve issues are subsiding.

BRAVO that you are slowly taking yourself off of you pain meds. Do do that SLOWLY.

Susan, to get myself off of hudrocodone took me about 10 days, and I remember very well the sleepless nights. Thank goodness you are not going "cold turkey", as that is very unwise. Also Susan, after I stopped taking the hydrocodone it still took another two weeks for the withdrawal symptoms to be gone. Just be patient.

Take care, I hope all continues to go well for you.

RichT

P.S. - Let someone else take care of the snow. No more nasty falls. We spineys must be careful.

Gosh, I missed this first post because that when I was in the hospital (groan....) but girl, no more snow shoveling!! And GRRRR on your ADD husband. I have ADD and have taught myself some basic things. Does he want you worse than you have already been? I should think not. Hopefully he is very apologetic and on alert to make sure things like that don't happen again? Maybe he wasn't expecting your to be outside dealing with the snow? If I did that, I know a husband who would come home and kill me, yell at me, or maybe even leave me!!! lol He would have no patience for that - our deal is I do the best I can to make myself well and he does the best he can do to help facilitate that. lol

My "elevated princess status" does include snow shoveling or any work outside, and very little inside. Every time I feel good and try to do anything at all, BAM, I'm hit with more pain.

Now that I have the SCS, I have to really be careful until the unit scars down in place, 4 to 6 weeks. If I don't, the leads could move and I'd be in a bad place. They've already moved some and I haven't done a darn thing. Must be that anomaly in my back or something causing the shifting. I may find out more at my Monday appointment to remove staples.

I'm glad you are feeling better and getting so much relief from the injection that you are taking so much less meds. That is awesome!!! I hope you get many months relief. The injections (epidural, bilateral nerve blocks) never did anything for me, not even 24 hours relief, so I'm very happy for you.